Outside chemistry, ferrous is an adjective used to indicate the presence of iron.[1] The word is derived from the Latin word ferrum ("iron").[2] Ferrous metals include steel and pig iron (with a carbon content of a few percent) and alloys of iron with other metals (such as stainless steel). Manipulation of atom-to-atom relationships between iron, carbon, and various alloying elements establishes the specific properties of ferrous metals.[3]

The term non-ferrous is used to indicate metals other than iron and alloys that do not contain an appreciable amount of iron.[4]